Equalities Impact Assessment

My Consultation Response

We are writing to you as the parent/carer of a registered home educated child
to inform you of the proposed changes to the Essex Home Education Advice (HEA)
service.

As you may be aware, the Council is facing continuing cuts to funding from
the government, but increased pressure on its budgets due to rising inflation,
changes in the level of education funding received by the council and increasing
demand for its services.

We need to review all services to decide whether or not they continue to
represent a cost effective way for us to spend public money.

Parents who choose to home educate are required to ensure that their children
receive a suitable education. The Council is not required to assist with this
but it currently does provide some limited support via the HEA service.

It is proposed that the HEA service will be replaced by web based support and
optional workshops as set out in this letter.

Current Service

The Council currently provides a HEA service which provides limited support
to parents who home educate. The service consists of two staff members who offer
advice and guidance through the support available and discuss appropriate
provision for the child. This takes place through an annual assessment which is
offered to help parents monitor the progress of their child's learning,
conducted through visits to the home or parents submitting an annual plan. The
current number of children in Essex who are registered as home educated is
around 700. The service makes an appointment to visit all children at least
annually.

Our understanding is that some parents find the service very helpful but
others do not place the same value on the service. In particular arranged visits
are cancelled or parents are unavailable when the advisors visit. Advisors do
not have a formal role in enforcing the law requiring all children to be
educated, but they can make referrals to the Local Authority Education Welfare
Officers.

The proposal is to remove the HEA service with effect from March 2015.
Instead we propose to provide support through the enhancement of the current
elective Home Education website to provide further advice and guidance. In
addition, workshop based sessions will be introduced for elective home educators
to attend on a voluntary basis with or without their child(ren). The workshops
will be designed to offer support and will focus on learning techniques and
specific topics. It is intended that home educating parents will be consulted,
prior to these workshops being offered, to ascertain their views on the topics
and the frequency (eg termly, bi-annually) This could lead to those parents who
value the service having more support than they currently receive.

Education Welfare Officers will continue to take action where there are
concerns that parents who are home educating are not providing a suitable
education. In these cases, Education Welfare Service will - as now - informally
request evidence of suitable education provision and take formal enforcement
steps if parents fail to respond.

The proposed changes would enable the Council to continue to meet its
statutory obligations in respect of children receiving a suitable education and
safeguarding* whilst respecting the rights of parents who opt to electively home
educate and do not feel that they require any support with this role.

Feedback

If you have any questions or concerns relating to the proposed changes,
please contact us (details below) by 29th October. All responses will be
considered before the final decision is taken in December 2014, which will be
communicated to you via a letter.

*Note 1: Statutory responsibilities. Under section 437(1) of the
Education Act 1996, local authorities shall intervene if it appears that
parents are not providing a suitable education. This section states:

If it appears to a local authority that a child of compulsory school age in
their area is not receiving a suitable education, either by regular attendance
at school or otherwise, they shall serve a notice in writing on the parent
requiring him to satisfy them within the period specified in the notice that the
child is receiving such education.

LAs also have a duty under section 175(1) of the Education Act 2002 to
safeguard and promote the welfare of children. A local education authority shall
make arrangements for ensuring that the functions conferred upon them in their
capacity as local education authority are exercised with a view to safeguarding
and promoting the welfare of children.